Guest Post

1. Save money and reduce waste: Swap your costumes! Although National Costume Swap Day™ is over, there’s still plenty of costume swaps happening around the country all the way through to Halloween (check out the national event calendar, here). Of course, if there’s no swap in your area (and you’re not up for hosting one), check out an online swap such as thredUP.com.

2. Instead of candy, give trick-or-treaters a small treasure, preferably one made of natural materials. Or hand out items such as non-toxic tattoos, stickers printed on recycled paper or modeling doh (handmade is great!). An extensive list of other non-food ideas can be found here.

3. Use a reusable bag for trick or treating, instead of a disposable one.

4. Invest in décor that you can be reused every year. Or have your kids create Halloween décor by using recyclable items from around your home.

by Daily Thred editors Michele Adams and Gia Russo.  Michele and Gia are lifestyle experts and former Martha Stewart Living editors. They have been featured in over 100 publications sharing their collective expertise on organization, budgeting, eco-friendly living and parenting.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

by Corey

When I was five, my family went to a “haunted house.” It was supposed to be kid-friendly.

But just steps into the experience, I was so freaked out that my parents convinced a group of witches and ghouls to drop their act and show me that they were real (live) people. Nonetheless, I refused to go any further through.

That was the last time I set foot in a haunted house.

The occasion was supposed to be fun, but for me, it was just awful. I was too young and the acting was too real.

For many kids, the typical “spooky” themes of Halloween can be frightening: the un-dead costumes, the haunted decor, the creaky music, if you are looking for table runners for your Halloween then at CV Linens you will find the best cheap table runner. But there’s no need to limit the fun when there’s so many great alternatives that kids of all ages can enjoy.

Here are 3 not-so-spooky themes for your Halloween celebration:

Credit: Oh The Lovely Things

Harvest

Forget ghosts and goblins and think “Harvest” – perhaps a pumpkin or apple theme. For either, decorate the room with harvest items you have grown, picked or purchased (look for organic and locally grown). Stamp names on mini-pumpkins for place-cards. Turn apples into candle holders (keep out of the reach of children). Play pass-the-pumpkin or dunk-for-apples (or hang apples from strings and see who can get a bite). Turn last year’s saved plastic Easter eggs into little jack-o-lanters. Stuff with healthy goodies. Have a Halloween egg hunt. Roast pumpkin seeds or make pumpkin cookies. Make mini-caramel apples (using all natural/organic caramel). Make (upcycled) pumpkin or apple crafts. Press apples for cider. Send kids home with a packet of pumpkin or apple seeds.

Credit: Fiksd

Owls

Owls are a great nod to the season, without being too spooky. Send a paperless Owl e-invitation. Line the front walk-way with paper-bag luminaries with owl cut-outs, or owl-carved jack-o-lanterns. Decorate the house like a forest. Cover walls with recycled craft paper and paint trees. Make smaller “limbs” from crumpled paper bags. Download Owl calls and forest sounds and play during the party. Make a paper mache owl pinata and fill with healthy goodies. Invite an owl expert to attend. Play pin the owl on the tree. Paint owl faces using natural face paints. Make owl pompoms and send home as the gift.

Credit: Green Baby Guide

Bugs

Creepy crawlies can be – well, creepy – but they don’t have to be. Make giant spider webs with strips of old sheets or cheesecloth. Flatten large cardboard boxes and paint with chalkboard paint (black). Use chalk to draw on spider webs. Let the kids add spiders with colored chalk. Cut spiders out of recycled paper (like snow flakes). Make spiders from old bike tire tubes and hang on a Halloween tree. Serve buggy fare made from fruits, veggies and whole grain crackers. Play Bug, Bug, Spider instead of Duck, Duck, Goose.

Or forgo the “theme” all together and simply use colors to create a festive Halloween ambiance without the fear-factor.

Try black, green and purple for a twist on the usual orange and black. Serve foods in these color schemes, too.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

As the second biggest event in the commercial calendar, trumped only by Christmas, Halloween is certainly scary – if only for the sheer amount of money spent and waste produced.

British spending on Halloween-related paraphernalia has risen from £12 million to £120m in just five years. It won’t be long before Brits have caught up with their American counterparts, who spend an average of £65 a family on Halloween decorations, sweets and costumes.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sackerman519/5132838934/

While the profit-driven side of Halloween has resulted in shelves and shelves of disposable single-use items, the spirit of the festival is something that doesn’t require the eco-minded to throw their morals into the cauldron.

Rooted in Nature

Halloween is based on the Samhain festival that pagans have been celebrating for approximately 2,000 years. Samhain (pronounced ‘sow’inn’) was viewed as the time of year when the barriers between the worlds of the living and those of the dead were lifted.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckleybisset/5169457624/

To celebrate Samhain, pagans brought harvest food and sacrificed animals to create a communal feast for the festival. Though the celebration has undergone many changes over the years, it is basically a transitional festival, marking the period where summer ends and winter begins and to give thanks for the harvest.

By keeping this natural focus in mind, eco-conscious Halloween celebrants can decorate their homes in a way that would have made the pagans proud.

So, without further ado, free up some time and head for the hills (or the beach) – it really is amazing what you can find when you start looking. And what better excuse to spend some time in the great outdoors?

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/siegertmarc/6018797302/

Beachcombing

There’s nothing like a storm-tossed, sun-bleached piece of gnarly driftwood to evoke a sense of the sinister – especially in candlelight. Make sure you do some research first, because in some areas it is illegal to collect items such as driftwood. Once you have found a suitable spot where there are no such restrictions, you can collect up any bits of driftwood in a bag – most pieces don’t weigh very much and the search makes for an enjoyable stroll on the beach. Check the tides before going, as you want to be able to search the high-tide line without being inundated by breaking waves.

The eagle-eyed scavenger will also be able to find washed-up bones, rusty pieces of metal, old rope and skull-like stones, which can be made more convincing with the application of a little paint. Dotted around for decoration, most flotsam exudes personality.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/punkrockpete/1817173559/

Countryside Ramble

The countryside is another free and sustainable source of decoration, but remember to check for any restrictions first! Pick up any pine cones and nuts you find on the wayside. Holly and other thorny shrubs can be used to adorn hats and disguise un-Halloweeny household items – especially those that you want to keep little hands away from.

If you have time to make conserve, cordial and jellies, pick some of the many varieties of berry available during the autumn. If you don’t know which are toxic, there are plenty of sites with information on which to pick and what to do with them.

Also keep an eye out for apples. Apple bobbing is one of the few traditional Halloween games to have survived through the ages.

Feathers – especially those of crows and ravens – make perfect additions to Halloween fancy dress costumes.

Costume Drama

If your child wouldn’t be caught dead in a homemade undead costume, then you’re going to have to rent an outfit. Don’t let yourself be convinced that buying is a good idea – it’s a rare child that will wear the same outfit year after year. Suppliers such as Halloween Express in the US and Escapade costumes in the UK offer a range of Halloween rental outfits.

Meet the girls of Trash Mash-Up!  Bridget and Jessica McCracken are the brains behind this eco-friendly operation.  They reduce waste by taking refuse and transforming it into art and they love working with the community hands-on by creating theatrical productions that are based in the San Francisco area.  I had the opportunity to ask them a few questions recently and here is what they had to say about Trash Mash-Up, working together, and how they celebrate a Green Halloween every year!

How did the Trash Mash-Up idea and name come to be?

Both Jessie and I have been interested in theater and puppets since we were kids growing up in Michigan.  Our parents have always supported our creativity and encouraged us to give back to our community.  When Jessie moved to San Francisco in 2004 (I had been here since 2001), we wanted to establish a community based art project that built creative connections in neighborhood of need.  We saw a need for public space and parks to be fostered for children and families in the Western Addition.  Jessie and I both wanted to work with trash to discuss issues of consumption and environmental justice but in a way that was fun, creative and not didactic.  Trash Mash-Up brings all of these aspects together in a collaborative community art project.

The McCracken sisters: Bridget and Jesse

How do you like working together?

It is amazing to collaborate with my sister.  TMU is a family affair.  Our youngest sister, Kate and our parents, Bill and Louise are on our advisory board.  But it is Jessie and myself who are the teaching artists and Managing and Artistic Directors.  Being sisters we are able to communicate ideas easily and come for a similar art background, both having studied and worked for The Dell’Arte Company.  Although we share similar training, we each bring our own style and ideas to the table.

This little girl is all dressed up and ready for the show!

What is your favorite aspect of the business?

My favorite aspect is leading the workshops.  Theater and art improves students’ self-confidence, communication skills and builds empathy for others.  They transform the learning process. It is amazing the dramatic changes and positive effects of students collaborating in creative ways.  I am always surprised by their solutions and their ability to describe their process.

Recycle and Reuse seems to be the Trash Mash Up theme and we love seeing it turn into art!

What is Your future vision of the Trash Mash-Up idea?

We are hoping to bring Trash Mash-Up to communities across the United States and world.  We are working on revising our study guide in order to better assist the spread of creative reuse.  TMU has had the opportunity to mash it up in Costa Rica, New York, Portland, and even our hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.  Jessie and I look forward to additional community partnerships from around the world.

Great costumes made from recycled materials to put on a show for diverse communities in the San Francisco area.

How do you plan on celebrating a Green Halloween this year?

Trash Mash-Up is thrilled to be apart of the Yerba Buena Garden Festival’s Halloween Hoopla : Dance & Parade for Kids. This is the 11th annual YBGF Halloween program and will featuring interactive performances and games for kids. The Unique Derique hosts, The Venezuelan Music Project plays live music, Preston folds origami and Trash Mash-Up will be creating masks, eco-warrior medallions, noise makers and a Trash Monster for the costume parade. Just before the hoopla ends, children under ten accompanied by adults are invited to parade in their Halloween finery!

Empowering the community through the arts!

Get in on the fun of Trash Mash-Up!  Here are the best ways to contact Bridget and Jesse:

Email: trashmashup@gmail.com

Website: http://www.trashmashup.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trashmashup

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/TrashMashUp

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trashmashup/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trashmashup

Laurali Star can be found on The Damsel in the Attic!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

How to Make a Fairy Broom

Feeling crafty?  Gather the troops together to create your very own witches broom decoration for your home or porch!  Who knows, maybe there’s a little magic in the broom after all (wink, wink).

The how-to’s:

More than just your ordinary sticks and twigs create this magic broom!

Choose your sticks wisely then bind together with waxed linen over and over.

Lavender at the head of the broom adds the finishing touch!

For more about brooms, please check out Fairegarden!

Check out blogger Laurali Star at The Damsel in the Attic!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.